It's easy to overlook just how important a good desk is. You may think it's enough to just hold your TV or monitor up. The Flexispot Q8 makes a compelling argument for much more, even if its price point is quite high.
The Q8 is marketed as similar to their E8 model with a few extras. It dominates quite a lot of room space but makes up for that with a sturdy design, electric charging ports and a surprisingly understated look.
If you're looking for more from Flexispot, here's our review of the Flexispot E8 standing Desk, the FlexiSpot Comhar All-in-On Standing desk and our pick for the best standing desk back in 2021.
The Set Up
Though I couldn't personally verify this due to its enormous size, my delivery notification told me the table was over 50KG total. I had to drag this monstrous weight up three flights on a 33-degree day, a mistake I won't be making again. If you can, you should do as the package advises and grab a friend to help you out. The table is split into two separate packages, both of which are heavy and quite large.
Moving them to the right position was the hardest part of the setup as actually building the table was incredibly easy. The table comes with a handful of main sections, screws, a screwdriver, and a hex key. With this alone, you have to screw parts together, push wires around and stand the whole thing up. The box comes with instructions that are easy to follow - leaving me able to build the desk singlehandedly in ten to fifteen minutes.
The table itself has a width of 140 cm and a length of 70 cm. At the lowest setting, its height is 61cm but this can go all the way up to 125cm. It's a very big table so you should really plan out where you want it to go before taking the plunge. The setup is easy in a technical sense, but you may want a friend to help with the heavy lifting.
How does it work?
FlexiSpot's standing desks are interesting. They have great functionality to use it standing up but no pressure to either. On the right-hand side of the desk are a handful of buttons. One sends it up, another sends it down. Going further across, you have a few buttons labelled with numbers and one to lock the desk in place. These numbers can be programmed to match a certain height, allowing you to preset your go-to sitting and standing levels.
With my desk, I chose to set these presets at the bottom, one-third of the way up, two-thirds, and at the top. Those buttons are touch sensitive so the lock function will stop you from hitting off it with your knee and changing the height - a small but useful feature. The table is full of handy additions like this.
Next to those buttons are a USB type A port and a USB type C port. It has one less than the EG8 desk but makes up for this with a wireless charger. You can place your phone on the desk and it will automatically charge it. For my iPhone 12, this was a dream. For my partner's Samsung S10e, it ran a little hot and didn't charge quite as fast. It seems like your experience here may vary.
As well as all of this, it has a place underneath to help with wire management and a pull-out drawer for extra storage. If you're planning on using the desk for work or gaming, it does so many things well. Unfortunately, the drawer is a little too small for a spare controller but it comfortably fits wires and a TV remote. One thing I can't help but wish was included is a mains plug somewhere. With just one extra plug, this desk would be absolutely perfect for all uses. Unfortunately, without that, you are left having to place the desk near a wall plug at all times.
Aesthetically, my Q8 looks great in my brand-new apartment. A bamboo wood finish and black frame leave it feeling sleek but understated. It could fit into most setups with fairly neutral colours but it certainly doesn't get lost. It's heavy and big but also incredibly sturdy. Using it both sitting and standing, there is no wobble in use and even physically moving it feels safe and secure.
It's hard to say if a standing desk is right for you but, if it is, it would be incredibly hard to go wrong with the FlexiSpot Q8. It succeeds in many of the places you need to for a desk and even comes with some handy extra features.
